Backstory
Food-tripping in Singapore
By Lea Salonga
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 21:08:00 01/07/2009
Filed Under: Food, Entertainment (general), Lifestyle & Leisure
SINGAPORE—We arrived at around 1:30 a.m. on New Year’s Eve in Singapore, one of my favorite cities for—food!
The hawker stands abound with all sorts of deliciousness for low, low prices (imagine nasi lemak and Hainanese chicken rice for only a few Singapore dollars per serving), while the high-end restaurants merit mention in every single international restaurant guide ever published.
The 2008/2009 Miele Guide covers restaurants in Southeast Asia, and the venue it deemed No. 1 on its list is Iggy’s in Singapore. It was in this wonderful place that my family spent New Year’s Eve along with good friends, some of whom are partners in the restaurant.
Iggy’s is named after Ignatius Chan, who owns the restaurant with his wife Pauline. There is no a la carte menu available; only tasting menus crafted so that each dish follows and complements the other in perfect harmony. The first time I had the great fortune of eating at Iggy’s was a few months ago, and that was a real treat!
On this New Year’s Eve, the set menu included Loch Fyne salmon with caperberries, ikura with orange jelly and egg royale, Hokkaido scallops topped with sea urchin, and tajarin (pasta, similar to spaghettini) topped with white truffle.
Chefs as artists
The piece de resistance was the Mayura wagyu beef, just a small portion served with watercress salad. Each bite exploded in my mouth, tender and flavorful. More than the beef itself, I think what made it special was the care with which it was prepared.
That’s the thing about Iggy’s that sets it apart from its peers. The chefs are artists, not just cooks. The restaurant seats only about 50, and one can be sure of attention to detail in the food preparation.
(To find out more about Iggy’s, visit www.iggys.com.sg.)
On the other side of the spectrum, it’s fantastic, too, when you find great eats for very low prices.
On the “Cinderella” tour, some members of the cast have been more than just a little adventurous in the pursuit for good food. I try to be careful in choosing my meals, but I’ve sampled my share of some fantastic delights, including Himalayan, all kinds of Chinese, and Thai. Now that we’ve stopped in Singapore, the food trip continues…
A few of my favorite dishes here are (again) Hainanese chicken rice, char kway teow (flat noodles with seafood and dark soy sauce) and (again) nasi lemak (rice cooked in coconut milk, served with either fried chicken, curry or rending, ikan bilis — something like dilis — and peanuts). Each of these can be made to order very cheaply. Hawker stands in the city and stalls in the shopping malls serve these gems—and boy, are they ever delicious!
Between shows on Saturday, I joined a bunch of Pinoy friends for hawker food outdoors only a stone’s throw away from the Esplanade (rhymes with “lemonade”). I walked the line of stalls, each one unique in its offerings. I had a dish of char kway teow; one friend had cockles; another had roti canai with curry; yet another ate fried rice.
More coming
After the Sunday matinee, a few of us in the show headed across the street from the theater to the Marina Square Mall. On the top floor is a food court, where all kinds of stuff can be found: Chinese dumplings, Indian food, noodles, and local fare! I had my nasi lemak fix here, and whilst walking to my table, spied a chicken rice stall. Next time, I shall have that. One of our presenters also happened to be at the same food court, and brought har gao (steamed prawn dumplings) to our table.
I plan to have a few more foodie adventures during my stay here. Stay tuned.
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